Asus Transformer Book Duet: One Laptop, Two Tablets, All the Crazy

Once upon a time (last June) Asus announced its Transformer Book Trio; a Windows PC with an Android tablet hiding inside. Now with the Transformer Book Duet, Asus is pushing its "more is more" approach one step further by adding "Windows 8.1 tablet" to the repertoire.

Just like the Transformer Book Trio, the Duet operates on the same basic principle: you've got a screen you can detach, that works as a tablet, and a keyboard dock you can set it into that turns it into a laptop and houses bonus features like USB ports and up to 1 TB of storage.

Except this time around, there's only one processor—a 4th gen Intel Core i7—that lives behind the screen and does all the heavy lifting whether your using it as a Windows tablet, an Android tablet, a Windows laptop, or a Windows desktop. And you can switch between operating systems at the push of a button.

With its 13 inch detachable screen and full Windows 8.1-plus-Android-4.2.2 install, the only thing the Transformer Book Duet can't do is run iOS apps. With Intel pushing in and trying to get a piece of the Android pie, you can expect these sort of hybrid monster machines to start popping up a lot more often, and in forms that aren't quite as excessive as the Transformer Book Duet.

In the meantime, if you're looking for a gadget that just voltrons together everything it can get its hands on, the Transformer Book Duet is for you. Or just wait a few months until they add SteamOS support or something equally insane.

There's no UK pricing or release information so far, but Asus Transformer Book Duet will start at $600 (about £366) in the US.